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The Making of Band of Brothers (Exclusive)

For Veterans Day

by Phil Pirrello  | Television Academy | November 10, 2023

For Veterans Day, lead writer Erik Jendresen reveals to the Television Academy how he and Tom Hanks helped make TV history.

The road to Band of Brothers started on the set of The Green Mile.

That’s where, in 1999, Band of Brothers’ lead writer and supervising producer Erik Jendresen first met with his soon-to-be-creative partner, Tom Hanks, to discuss adapting Stephen E. Ambrose’s 1992 book into one of HBO’s most prestigious (and enduring) miniseries. Fresh off the recent success of Saving Private Ryan, Hanks and director Steven Spielberg (serving here as executive producer) teamed up with Jendresen to tell the harrowing real-life story of the soldiers of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, and the formative struggles they faced on the frontlines of World War II.

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11 Band Of Brothers Scenes That Are Basically Perfect

An Overly Powerful World War II Story

by Lewis Glazebrook  | ScreenRant | August 29, 2023

Band of Brothers is one of the more emotionally affecting, outstandingly produced war stories in modern TV, made up of a handful of essentially perfect scenes. Airing on HBO in 2001, Band of Brothers is based on the non-fiction book of the same name and details the exploits of “Easy” Company of the 101st Airborne Infantry Division during World War II. From the company’s experiences in boot camp and the Normandy landings on D-Day to various military operations in Europe and the end of the war, Band of Brothers outlines the horrors of the war and the camaraderie and bravery of the men and women who fought in it.

It is worth noting that, when concerning perfect scenes in Band of Brothers, it is nigh on impossible to narrow it down to a select number. It is one of the most critically acclaimed TV shows in history, and for good reason based on its incredible production design, outstanding writing, and fantastic performances from Band of Brothers‘ cast of actors. As such, it is incredibly difficult to limit the show to a certain number of impactful scenes. With that said, here are the 11 scenes that stand out across Band of Brothers‘ 10 episodes as essentially perfect, for varying different reasons pertaining to the exploration of World War II.

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HBO War Dramas Band Of Brothers and The Pacific Coming To Netflix US

New Co-Licensing Deal

by Jacob Robinson | What’s On Netflix | July 4, 2023

A new lucrative new co-licensing deal between HBO Max and Netflix will see the incredible war dramas, Band of Brothers and The Pacific, head to Netflix US September 15, 2023 due to the recently signed nonexclusive co-licensing deal between the two platforms.

Based on the book of the same name by historian Stephen Ambrose, Band of Brothers follows the journey of Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, from their training at Camp Toccoa to D-Day, Operation Market Garden, Battle of the Bulge, and the surrender of Germany.

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Categories Band of Brothers Music

Mini Band Of Brothers Reunion At Music Gig

Pilots Band

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | December 5, 2022

Damian and several Band of Brothers reunited on Saturday, December 3, 2022 for alt-rock band Pilots’ music gig at The Fiddler’s Elbow in Camden.  Nick Aaron who played Robert E. “Popeye” Wynn is lead vocals and Alex Sabga-Brady who played Francis J. Mellett plays drums. In addition to our Captain Winters in the audience, other Brothers in attendance were Robin Laing who played Edward J. “Babe” Heffron, Tim Matthews who played Alex M. Penkala Jr., Pete McCabe who played Donald B. Hoobler and Christian Black who played Walter Hendrix. Black also provides photography for the band. From what we hear, it was a crackin’ night!

For more information, visit the band’s website here 
Source: Instagram

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Why Band Of Brothers Was A Vital Production For The British Film Industry

A Boon for British Actors and Industry Professionals

by Walter Roberts | Slash Film | November 20, 2022

Over the years, Brits have proven to be especially sensitive when matters concern representations of their history, such as the country’s place in the world wars. And in 2001, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ co-produced HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers” struck quite a nerve. After spending up to £15 million on UK broadcasting rights for the show, the BBC faced criticism for investing in a story that puts American soldiers at the center of the final World War II counteroffensive against Germany’s armed forces.

But this may not be a fair way to look at things. As a show filmed entirely in the UK, “Band of Brothers” was a boon for British actors and industry professionals alike.

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The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time

Best of the Best: Band of Brothers

by Alan Sepinwall | Rolling Stone | September 26, 2022

HOW DO YOU identify the very best series in a medium that’s been commercially available since the end of World War II? Especially when that medium has experienced more radical change in the nine years between the finales of Breaking Bad and its prequel, Better Call Saul, than it did in the 60-odd years separating Walter White from Milton Berle? The current Peak TV era is delivering us 500-plus scripted shows per year, many of them breaking boundaries in terms of how stories are told and who’s doing the telling. So, we decided to update our list of television’s all-time best offerings, originally compiled in 2016.

Once again, we reached out to TV stars, creators, and critics — from multihyphenates like Natasha Lyonne, Ben Stiller, and Pamela Adlon to actors like Jon Hamm and Lizzy Caplan as well as the minds behind shows like The X-Files, Party Down, and Jane the Virgin — to sort through television’s vast and complicated history (see the full list of voters here). Giving no restrictions on era or genre, we ended up with an eclectic list where the wholesome children’s television institution Sesame Street finished one spot ahead of foulmouthed Western Deadwood, while Eisenhower-era juggernaut I Love Lucy wound up sandwiched in between two shows, Lost and Arrested Development, that debuted during George W. Bush’s first term.

Many favorites returned, and the top show retained its crown. But voters couldn’t resist many standouts of the past few years, including a tragicomedy with a guinea-pig-themed café, an unpredictable comedy set in the world of hip-hop, and a racially charged adaptation of an unadaptable comic book. It’s a hell of a list.

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Band of Brothers Struck Emmy Gold 20 Years Ago

Hollywood Flashback

by Hilton Dresden | Hollywood Reporter | June 11, 2022

For Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, 1998’s Saving Private Ryan marked the beginning of a fruitful collaboration focused on World War II epics. After that film won five Oscars, they teamed up on a wartime drama for the small screen. It would be HBO’s “most expensive miniseries,” with a budget in the realm of $120 million, THR reported.

Band of Brothers, a 13-hour dramatization of Stephen Ambrose’s best-seller, followed a brigade of World War II soldiers known as “The Easy Company,” a regiment within the Army’s 101st Airborne Division. Each episode opened with audio testimony from a real veteran of the brigade before focusing on a member of the ensemble cast as they prepared for war and entered the field. David Schwimmer, at the height of his Friends fame, was joined by a group of relative newcomers including Damian Lewis in the central role of Lt. Winters, Scott Grimes, Matthew Leitch, Ron Livingston and Michael Fassbender. (Hanks served as executive producer with Spielberg and directed the fifth of the 10 episodes, but did not have a speaking role.)

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10 Most Popular HBO Shows Of All Time, According To IMDb

Band of Brothers

by Kallie Atkins | ScreenRant | April 15, 2022

From shows like Game Of Thrones to Euphoria, HBO has a plethora of wildly successful series under its belt. Let’s look at their IMDb ratings!

With plenty of exciting shows set to premiere in 2022, including The Staircase and former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat’s adaptation of The Time Traveler’s Wife, HBO is hoping to continue its trend of successful TV series. From popular series like Sex And The City to Euphoria to Game Of Thrones, HBO already has plenty of impressive series under its belt.

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The Biggest Easy Company Battle Band Of Brothers Left Out

Destruction of Son Bridge: The Battle Prior to Episode 4 ‘Replacements’

by Emily Clute | ScreenRant | March 21, 2022

HBO’s miniseries Band of Brothers told the true story of Easy Company and their time in WWII. However, one battle was left out of the series.

HBO’s 2001 miniseries Band of Brothers is heralded for providing a glimpse into the horrors of World War II — but despite being based on the true story of Easy Company, the miniseries tweaks history for the sake of the story, and ultimately leaves out some of the struggles that Easy Company faced during the war. Historian Stephen E. Ambrose’s book, Band of Brothers, was brought to life in 2001 by Hollywood legends Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, drawing on inspiration from the real-life members of Easy Company themselves. Despite working off of first-hand accounts, however, there are pieces of the story that were ultimately details left out of Band of Brothers. Here is the battle that was left out of Band of Brothers, explained.

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Band of Brothers Sequel ‘Masters of the Air’ Expectations

Potential Release Date, Cast and Plot

by Harsha | Nilsen Report | February 16, 2022

Are the rumours about Masters Of The Air (Band Of Brothers third sequel) true? Can we expect the third season any time soon? Well, come along, let’s try and figure out what the scenario is like!

Masters Of The Air: When’s it Releasing?
Rumours about Masters Of The Air have been in the air for several years now. However, the production team or the makers of the show haven’t come up with any official announcements or updates as to when the show is going to hit the screens. It is for sure that it will premiere on Apple TV+. But when we do not know. The director asserted in an interview that the show has been in development for many years now. Due to one reason or another, it could not happen. Even as of now, no official affirmation has been provided. Considering how awesome the first two parts of the series were, the third sequel is much awaited! The makers have confirmed that there will be a renewal. So, it’s for certain that Masters Of The Air is happening! Apple TV+ revealed that its filming and production began in March 2021 (with a production cost of around $200 million). If we were to anticipate the release date of Masters Of The Air, it would be either by the end of 2022 or later in 2023. Given the Covid situation, the postponement is inevitable.

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25 of the Most Expensive TV Series of All Time

Band of Brothers

by Angela Underwood | Stacker via MSN | January 5, 2022

TV is a numbers game in more ways than one. Creating intricate sets, using new visual effects, and paying famous actors make television an expensive enterprise. Some of the biggest numbers in show budgets are on actors’ paychecks: In the 1990s, well-known stars like Kelsey Grammer were getting $1.6 million for each episode while Jennifer Aniston and her five “Friends” raked in up to $1 million per episode. In the final season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” several of its stars made $500,000 per episode, revealing paying talent top dollar has not changed.

“Band of Brothers” was among the first big-budget shows not on major network television when it began its run on HBO in the late 1990s with an almost unheard of budget of $12 million per episode. Having Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg attached to the project pushed HBO into funding it. The network has since spent even more on making shows like “The Pacific” and “Game of Thrones.”

To find out the 25 most expensive TV series of all time, Stacker conducted independent research via news reports and entertainment outlets and ranked the shows by budget. Ties were not broken when shows shared the same budget. Read on to discover which shows cross the $10 million-per-episode budget threshold—and which takes the cake, with a budget of a whopping $21.7 million per episode.

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Our Top 5 Bing-Worthy Shows

A Bit of Wartime

by Pat Fitzpatrick | Irish Examiner | December 17, 2021

Christmas TV isn’t what it used to be. There’s still some good stuff lined up for the run into 2022, I’ll get into that next week.

But this week it’s Top 5 Binge-Worthy shows, in case you feel the need to escape from Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs at Christmas.

5: Band of Brothers, Sky and Now TV

If your partner makes you sit through all of Downton guys, she owes you a bit of wartime. And there is no better binging than this 10-part World War II gem which first introduced Damian Lewis to the world.

Read the rest of the original article at Irish Examiner